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Pro Racing Cyclist Caught With Motor Hidden Inside Bike. Here's How She (Probably) Did It

It's called "mechanical doping" and it's easier than taking steroids

By Rain Noe - February 4, 2016

in Cars

Over the weekend, Belgian cyclist Femke van den Driessche had her bike impounded at the UCI Cyclocross World Championships—and it was discovered that there was a motor hidden inside.

Femke van den Driessche

"After one lap of the world championships, UCI took Femke's bike in the pit area and tested it with some sort of tablet," said Sporza journalist Maarten Vangramberen. "When the saddle was removed, there were electrical cables in the seat tube. When they wanted to remove the bottom bracket, which is normally not difficult, they could not because the crank was stuck. Inside there was a motor."

"For the UCI, this is the first time we have established a technical fraud and for us that's a downer," said Peter Van den Abeele, a manager for the UCI (that's International Cycling Union, in English). "Most people are bewildered [by this]."

As someone unfamiliar with racing bikes, I am totally bewildered by this. How do you hide a motor inside a bicycle, such that it requires a tablet to detect it? Where is the UI hidden, such that it cannot be seen by visual inspection? And wouldn't a motor make some kind of noise? Let's look at these points one by one:

How the UI and UX Works

In an article in Cycling Tips called "Hidden motors for road bikes exist — here's how they work," editor Matt de Neef reveals German company Vivax's Assist concealed bicycle motor. (There's no confirmation that this is the system van den Driessche used, but it's an example of how it's done.) Here he shows you how the UI works:

Activating the Vivax Assist motor is a simple case of turning the pedals and then pressing the start/stop button. The motor kicks in after roughly a second or so.

The motor doesn't create any extra resistance in the drivechain when you're riding with the motor disengaged; it feels just like you're riding a normal bike. But when you press the button, the power that you're pushing through the bike is supplemented by what feels like roughly 100 watts.

To disengage the motor you simply stop pedalling. You get a little bit of a jolt forwards from the pedals, similar to what you might get when you're riding a fixed-gear bike for the first time and you forget you shouldn't stop pedalling. Except in the case of the Vivax Assist, the impetus from the motor stops immediately after that initial jolt, and you can then freewheel as normal.

The Noise

"The motor does make a little bit of noise but it's not as loud as the end of the above video might suggest — in that case the microphone was placed close to the bottom bracket," de Neef explains. "When riding along it is only slightly audible over road and wind noise."

Where the Motor is Hidden

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The cylindrical motor of Vivax's Assist tucks away inside the seat tube, and at the bottom is a gear arrangement that then drives the crankshaft. The system can be purchased in an Invisible Performance Package option that renders the button wireless, which could be hidden anywhere, like under the saddle or even on the cyclist's body. What's not clear is where or how the battery was concealed in the Van den Dreissche incident.

Why Does Vivax Make Such a Thing?

A bicycle-assisting motor is actually a fantastic idea, and the company's original goal was to increase a recreational rider's range and/or even out "the performance difference between riding partners;" imagine a married couple, for instance, where one is a triathlete and the other is a desk jockey, but they enjoy riding together on the weekends.

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What's less clear, however, is why they make an "Invisible" option; all we can assume is it's for aesthetics.

Says She's Innocent

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Van den Dreissche, for her part, claims she's innocent. Here's her version of the story, according to Velo News:

The 19-year-old denied that she had used a bike with a concealed motor on purpose, saying that it was identical to her own but belonged to a friend and that a team mechanic had given it to her by mistake before the race.

"It wasn't my bike, it was that of a friend and was identical to mine," a tearful Van den Driessche told Belgian TV channel Sporza. "This friend went around the course Saturday before dropping off the bike in the truck. A mechanic, thinking it was my bike, cleaned it and prepared it for my race," she added, insisting that she was "totally unaware" it was fitted with a hidden motor.

Tell It to the Judge?

Wilier Triestina, the Italian bike manufacturer that built Van den Dreissche's ride, isn't pleased with being associated with the event. Here's a statement released by CEO Andrea Gastaldello on the company's website:

"We are literally shocked, as the main technical partner, we want to distance [ourselves] from this act absolutely contrary to the basic values ??of our company, and with the principles of each sporting competition. Really unacceptable that the photos of our bike is making the rounds of the international media due to this unpleasant fact. We work every day to bring worldwide the quality of our products and when we know that a Wilier Triestina's bike is meanly tampered we're very sad. Our Company will take legal action against the athlete and against any responsible for this very serious matter, in order to safeguard the good name and image of the company, marked by professionalism and seriousness in 110 years of history".

The UCI is currently conducting an investigation. If Van den Dreissche is found guilty, she faces a six-month suspension and a fine of up to 200,000 Swiss francs (US $195,000).

Via Velo News

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Rich Hall

8 years ago

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I'm confident that Lance used a motor in his bikes as well. After every Tour De France, Lance had his bikes destroyed. These bikes were worth thousands of dollars and there was no reason to have them destroyed other than to hide something.

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Kevin Moynihan

8 years ago

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1Z

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A couple fun technical points:
A lot of the "assist" bikes just detect when you're trying to put out power, and then they assist. The button only turns on/off that functionality, so it could be left on for a whole race.

Many bikes these days have "electrical cables" in the seat tube. Mine does. The battery for electronic shifting (now common on bikes above $4k) is often housed in the seat post, so that's not a surprise.

Second hand, I've heard the method to check bikes is by looking for an internal heat signature. Solenoid driven shifting wouldn't be inside the frame or be a large heat source compared to a motor, so using a IR camera might do the trick.

Also, for those not in the sport, 100 watts sustained assistance for a 135 lb world class (Tour de France) rider is basically a 25% power boost.

This will be the first of many!

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Brad Comis

8 years ago

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It seems to me that she would know immediately that something was wrong with the bike. A 100W boost is a big change! A professional cyclist would most likely have a highly attenuated sense of loading for the legs and would notice this immediately- the bike probably has a power meter on it, which would make it even more obvious. She should have disqualified herself if she really received a bike with electrical assist.

I don't find the "friend's bike" argument terribly unlikely. If the team doesn't have a huge budget it would be possible to make a few adjustments to a bike and have it race ready, but it would be strange and probably only undertaken in desperate circumstances.

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T P

8 years ago

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@Rob
Yes, these bikes are customized exactly to the riders dimensions and preferences. It would however be possible that the mechanic adjusted the bike to her setting. A not perfect setting could be left undetected by her in the heat of the race.

However, its very unlikely that her friend would have the exact same bike for several reasons. The first is that a lot of the frames used in professional riding are custom build with different dimensions compared to standard sizes. But even if she rode an off the rack frame, it would be a coincidence that the frame size was the same.
In addition to that, all of the components used on her bike are top of the line. This is a very expensive bike fitted with racing components which are chosen for weight savings and in-race reliability as compared to expense and durability. These are bikes outfitted in a way which anyone not in a race (even the pro's train on "lesser" bikes). The third is graphics, which is the main reason I don't believe this story. Pro bikes used in races often have special graphics and at the very least a name and number. This is something you are required to have while racing and is something you don't have while you are not racing.

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- T P
  
  T P
  
  8 years ago
  
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  1Z
  
  Reply
  
  "-anyone not in a race would never use."
  
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1stlvl Humanoid

8 years ago

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1Z

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Innocent until I'm proven guilty
Deny everything, deny everything
I'm being framed, it's all a set-up
Deny everything, deny everything
I'm just a spoke in the wheel, just a part of the puzzle
A part of the game, I'm being framed
Innocent 'til I'm proven guilty
Deny everything, deny everything
Deny everything, deny everything

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- Jesse Charles
  
  1stlvl Humanoid
  
  8 years ago
  
  Z
  
  Z
  
  Reply
  
  Hmm.. sounds like Lance.
  
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  - Brian Hunt
    
    Jesse Charles
    
    8 years ago
    
    Z
    
    1Z
    
    Jesse,
    Do you think Lance may have had a motor in his bike and nobody thought to check back then? Lance was so fast for a little man! It is hard to believe that drugs made this much difference. I know a bit about this as I was a racehorse veterinarian back in the eighties at Santa Anita,California. I worked with Dr.Roy Bishop who was an outstanding Thoroughbred Track Vet. Drugs were used in those days but the enhanced performances were not that great. What helped was my Myoglobin Radioimmunoassay Tests which determined racehorse performance accurately. If blood myoglobin levels get high the horse needs resting to avoid damage. They once used the test with football players. It would work in determining a cyclist's fitness. Cheers,Dr.Brian,BVSc,DVM,MS (CORNELL).
    
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Brian Hunt

8 years ago

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This is very interesting. I wonder if Lance Armstrong had a motor in his bike. He was so fantastic,almost superhuman. I know Lance was naughty but the Tour is not the same without Lance. He was the most exciting and fantastic rider of all time. It was thrilling to see him race uphill and leave the other riders far behind. A Superman!
The lady Dutch cyclist should be given a warning and allowed to race on as she will make the sport more popular. Go easy on her. She is so cute. Cheers,DrBrian.

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אופניים חשמליות אקופאן

8 years ago

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i think it is wondifull to see that sport i admire it. i bought <a href="http://www.ecofun.co.il/"> אופניים חשמליים </a> and didnt sucees to drive much km.

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אופניים חשמליות אקופאן

8 years ago

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Z

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i like this aticle

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Michael Flower

8 years ago

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I think this Product WOULD "GREATLY" Improve the Lives of Handicapped Wheelchair Driver's EVERYWHERE. Being Small, "Extremely" Lightweight, Compact and Fairly Simple to use...

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Mike Heck

8 years ago

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Aren't these bikes so customized to each individual racer, that she would have know immediately it didn't feel exactly like her own bike? Unless her friend happens to be her dopplelganger

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- Hoh_design Ho
  
  Mike Heck
  
  8 years ago
  
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  Actually that's not quite the case. Pros use off the shelf frame and top of the line components (the price of which are mostly still accessible to a wealth amateur). The "personalisation" part real comes in in the form of specific settings. You can adjust hight of the seat, position of the seat, then hight/length of the stern etc.. Actually in Tour de France, it is not unusual for a teammate to ride a slightly off size bike that fits the team leader exactly so that he can offer his bike to his leader when needed.
  
  Hypothetically, if her friends use exactly the same frame and components as she does, the mechanic may just find the position setting off the chart for the new bike. He may then just reset the bike to her setting and put a race number on it. That said, the same mechanic should notice the rate differential that comes with the motor and battery system.
  
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  - Hoh_design Ho
    
    Hoh_design Ho
    
    8 years ago
    
    Z
    
    Z
    
    "weight", not "rate".
    
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Sean Horita

8 years ago

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I'd be shocked if the UCI doesn't make an example out of her. Unlike blood doping, technological or motorized doping ("moping") puts the fault clearly on the rider. She is probably being asked to reveal everything she knows about "this friends bike", at risk of a lifetime ban from cycle competition.

I'm no fan of the UCI but they had better get this right.

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